A new exclusive album trailer for Jon Oliva's first solo album, 'Raise The Curtain', has been released by AFM Records online. The album is due out on Monday here, and is already getting excellent press throughout Europe.

A lyric video for the beautiful track 'Father Time' was released earlier this month and you can see both videos at the bottom of this page.

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Known by the simple signature surname Oliva, AFM is pleased to present the first ever solo album by The Mountain King.

Released on June 24th here, as CD, Digipak and limited edition gatefold vinyl, this album sees the voice of Savatage and Jon Oliva's Pain release his first solo record, backed by friend Dan Fasciano and drummer Chris Kinder.

Produced at Morrisound in his native Florida, 'Raise The Curtain' is a sumptuous journey through the Prog Rock, 70s musical influences and well-thumbed hard rock palette that has been at the centre of the Jon Oliva story for some 30 years.

Jon has been talking extensively about the background to the record and commented on the background to the new album: "After the passing of my dear friend Matt LaPorte, I felt very confused about the future of Jon Oliva's Pain. A week or so after Matt's service, I was speaking to my friend Dan Fasciano about what I wanted to do. He suggested that I come by his home, where he has a full studio and we just hang out and record whatever I had.

"Unbeknownst to me at the time, Dan also had tons of unfinished music that he wanted to do something with. And it was very strange because he had tons of stuff and so did I. I don't remember how we actually started writing together but it just happened."

On working on the new material: "Then it became almost like a competition. I would show up at the house at 9am and we just started combining what we both had; somehow it was magic. On the phone, he'd say, 'I hope you've got something today, because I do...' And we recorded over 60 songs in a very short period of time.

"I was amazed at the fact that his music and mine were very similar and easy to join together. I knew that this CD was going to be very different and I wanted to play as much of it myself as I could. This was something I had to do for me and for Criss."

On the 'Helping Hands': "Dan and Chris Kinder's help (my Jon Oliva's Pain drummer) was crucial to this CD coming out the way it did. The work of Tom and Jim Morris and Wayne Le'fleur, was crucial also."

And on the last music of brother Criss Oliva: "The fact that this is the last of Criss' music (who died 20 years ago in a car accident), makes me sad but I'm also happy that I got all his music out to the fans, because that's what he would have wanted.

"Everyone who pushed me to do this album: I thank you, your support is crucial to me. I so much loved recording this CD and I got to fulfill my deepest musical fantasy. At the same time, I got the rest of Criss' music out. It was a labour of love I'm very proud of; thank you all for listening."

'Raise The Curtain' is;

Raise The Curtain
Soul Chaser
Ten Years
Father Time
I Know
Big Brother
Armageddon
Soldier
Stalker
The Witch
Can’t Get Away